Apparatus for desulphurizing ores



(No Model.) s sheets-sheen 1. J. LEEDE. APPARATUSFOR DBSULPHURIZINGGRES.

No. 471,618. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

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J. LBEDE. APPARATUS POR DESULPH-URIZING GRES.

Nm 471,618. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

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APPARATUS POR DESULPHURIZING DRES. Y No. 471,618. Y K Patented Mam. 29,1892.

NITEg STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IULIUS LEEDE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

' APPARATUS FOR DESULPHURIZING CRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,618, dated March29, 1892.

Application filed October 2 3, 1889. Renewed September 5, 1891. SerialNo. l04,82% (N o model.)

. name of sulphurets, which contain sulphur,

arsenic, antimony, tellurium, dto., in varying proportions in connectionwith the precious metals, it. has been difiicult, if not impossible, toexpeditiously and economically eliminate the base metals and compoundsand prepare the oresforamalgamation, lixiviation, or sm elt- Y dueexpenditure of time and fuel-or loss of mineral arising from inherentdefects in prior processes and apparatus.

The invention consists in certain arrangements of instrumentalities andcombinations of parts hereinafter more fully described, and set forth inthe claims.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is anelevation of my improved apparatus, taken from the front. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section of the same, showing the operating-levers inelevation and the condenser partly in elevation and partly in section.Fig. 2 is a plan showing one of the chemical chambers in section. Fig. 3is a plan,a portion of the upper part of the furnace being removed. Fig.iis a detail showing the liquid spraying device, and Fig. 5 is a detailof the blast-nozzle.

A is a tripod or support for the furnace, mounted on any suitableplatform or foundation. Obviously this support may be made of cast orwrought metal or it may be built up of masonry. Upon this support ismounteda a hopper O, from which the ore'is removed after treatment bymeans of a conveyer (not shown) or in any suitable way. The roasted oremay be directly conveyed to crushing or pulverizing rollers and thenceto amalgamator, smelter, or other place of deposit in well-known ways.

The hopper C is arranged Within the support, as shown.

D D D are plates hinged to the casting B, as shown. These plates formthe bottom or hearth of the roasting-chamber, and for convenience I willhereinafter call them dumping-plates.

which they are operated to open and close by means of operating-leversand connectingrods, hereinaftery described. These plates are triangularin form and are inclined downward toward the center of the furnace, thusforming a bottom of general conical shape. This is for the purpose ofpreventing binding by reason of expansion from the intense heat. In casethey should expand, however, they may be relieved by means of theturn-buckles shown.

Within the upper flange b of the casting B lire-brick E are arranged andform the outer walls of the tire-chamber of the furnace. The height ofthis chamber is usually made about twenty inches or the length of twoordinary fire-brick. Obviously this may be greater or less, and brick ofthe required dimensions to use a single course may be made for thepurpose. A tie-band F is adjusted around the brick at the joint or aboutmidway between the top and bottom of the chamber, as shown in Fig. l.Instead of such band the brick may be surrounded and supported by acylinder of cast, sheet, or plate metal. Mounted on the top of the brickis another similarI casting B, and a second re-.chamber withvdumping-grates is formed in all respects like the irst. It is my purposeto have three or more tire-chambers, one above another, and above all ahopper of suitable capacity to hold a charge of ore for one chamber ofthe furnace, each compartment having dumpingplates for discharging theore to the chamber next below.

Doors for ingress to the fire-chambers for b. The under fiange bembraces the `walls of Each bottom section is provided .M with anoutwardly-proj ecting arm d, through IOO the purpose of igniting thefuel are provided, and a peep-hole e for each fire-chamber is arrangedso that the operator may observe the condition of the interior.

Reiiectors maybe arranged for convenience of inspecting the upperchambers. The lip ZJ forms a shelf over the outer edge of thedumping-plates and prevents clogging upon the return of the grate to itsnormal condition.

G is a segmental frame or support, to which is pivoted a series ofoperating-levers g g, through which and the connecting-rods andcrank-levers shown the grates are opened and closed. Turn-buckles areused for adjusting the length of these connecting-rods to insure theexact throw to fully close the grates.

H is the flue common to all the fire-chambersy through which theAproducts of combustionA pass tothe condenser I. The flue is jacketed,.as-seen at h, for the circulation. of water to cool and condense theescaping fumes.

The condenser I is provided with zigzag passagesand withsettling-pockets it', as shown, and the side boundaries of the pocketsare provided with removable capst'2 or with doors through which thedeposits may be readily inspected and removed from time toy time.

'K- is an air-blast passage leading from a suitable power-driven blowerto each tirev chamber at three or more points, and L is a gas orfuelpipe leading-from a suitable source of supply under pressure to andthrough the airdischarge passages Within the fire-chambers.

The-nozzles of the blow-pipe are made by sawing or slitting the end of apipe below a d-iametrical line and then bending the under lip or jawupagainst thelonger part, leaving the lateral openings 7c lo" inthe formshown,

so that the discharge of gas and air will be l freest near thecircumference of the lire-chamber, in order that the vflame may 'reachal1 parts of the ore with approximately the same forceand effect.

Cocks rn-m are arranged, as shown, so that either the gas or air, orboth, may be shut off or turned on to either or to all of thefirechambers as may be desired.

Misa steam or liquid-supplyconduit leading from. any suitable supplyunder pressure'. This conduit is provided at its extremity within thelire-chambers with a perforated f nozzle fn. for spraying` liquid ordistributing steam throughout the fire-chamber for chilling the ore,cooling the chamber or the intro.- duction of reducing orconvertingagents as may be desired. Interposed between the source and dischargeand connected with the conduit M bybranch pipes are one or more chemicalchambers O. Cocks are arranged so as to divert the steam or liquidpastor through either or all of these chambers, one of which is designedto contain salt and the others such chemical or mixtures of chemicals orsolvents as may be desirable in the treatment of vthe character of oresherein contemplated.

Pis a torch or gas-burner-flexibly connected with source of supply foruse in igniting tho burners in the fire-chambers.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: Ores reduced to about thesize of stovecoal or less are introduced in any approved way tothehopper at the top of the furnace, gas is turned on to the upper chamberand lighted, and the blast is started. The ore is then dumped into saidchamber and the up- -per plates returned to normal position- The ore isthen heated by the blow-pipe flame to a, proper heat and held in thechamber until the surfaces within the range of the flame have comeapproximately to the proper condition. In the meantime, if the ore getstoo hot or if for other reasons it is desirable for disintegration ordecomposition jets or. sud- `den dashes of Water or chemically-chargedwater or steam are admitted to the chamber.`

The gas is then lighted and the blast turned on in the next chamberandthe partiallytreated ore is dumped to said chamber anda new charge isintroduced from the hopper to the upper chamber.

cordi'ng to the judgment or instructions of the operator and thecharacter and condition In some instances when the ore.

of the ore.` contains a large amount oflsulphur the gas is used only tobring said ore to such heat as will ignite the sulphur, after which it(the gas) is cut off and the blast continued, thus oxidizing the mass.Again, should the mass become too hot it may be cooled by reducing 4theblast or by the introduction of water or steam. t

It isrobserved that the operations are severally under the directcontrol of the attendant, and that the heat, the amount of fuelintroduced,l the relation of blast to fuel, and of both to the characterof the ore, the cooling in case of great rise in temperature or thechilling in case it be desired to suddenly chill the mass fordisintegrating the same or for other purposes, as Well as theintroduction of chemical reagents, is absolutely underv the vwill of theoperator. The time of treatment vin each chamber may bemade tocorrespond,

and thus a charge of ordinary ore may be introduced and discharged everyfew minutes.

l-I-aving described my invention, Vwhat I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patand air supply under pressure communicat- -ing with theconduits, whereby a blow-pipe vilame is caused to extendl entirelywithin'the The dumping'mixes" and turns the ore so as to present newsurfaces to the flame, and the treatment is continued or modified in thesecond chamber, ac-

IOO

ITO

combustion-chamber, across the hearth, and

beneath the body of the ore, substantially as described. l Y

2. In an apparatus for treating refractory ores, the combination of anore and combustion chamber, gas-burners leading to said chamber,separate air and gas conduits coinmnnicating with said burners,a sourceof gas and of air supply under pressure communieating with the conduits,and means, substantially as described, for introducing chemicals atwill, whereby the mass is subjected to an oxidizing ame and chemicalreagents, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for treating refractory ores, the combination of aseries of combustion-chambers, one above another, movablehearthsordumping-plates pivotally supported in the Walls of thechambers, operating-levers at the side of the furnace, and connectingdevices between the levers and plates, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for treating refractory ores, thecombination of afire-chamber, hearth, or dumping-plate sections pivotally supported inthe fire-chamber, and an internally-proj ecting lip in the fire-chamberabove the dumping-plate sections, substantially as described.

5. In an ore-treating apparatus, the combi- 4 nation of a lire-chamber,a chemical chamber communicating With said ire-chamber, a pipe for steam.or liquids extending from a source of supply to said chemicalchamber,and

means, substantially as described, to divert -this lst day of October,A. D. 1889.

JULIUS LEEDE. [1.. s] In presence of- JOHN P. GRIsT,

V. D. STOOKBRIDGE.

